Julia Tutwiler Prison to Become Safer for Inmates

Friday, May 29, 2015

Alabama has reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over a state prison for women that federal officials said subjected inmates to a toxic culture of abuse and harassment. The agency filed a federal lawsuit against Alabama today over conditions at Julia Tutwiler Prison and a settlement agreement to address the abuse. The Justice Department said last year that corrections officers at the prison had assaulted inmates, coerced inmates into sex, inappropriately watched inmates in the showers and organized a New Year's Eve strip show. Alabama agreed to install monitoring cameras and put in place new procedures to ensure inmate complaints are taken seriously. Governor Robert Bentley said the changes will make Tutwiler a safer place for inmates and staff.